The Polite Trilogy
by EchoSerenade
Summary: I ducked my head back down as the group strolled out as if they hadn't just murdered a family of three. My heart went out to my neighbours, but I wondered if they had caught a glimpse of me. I should never have been so nosy. I should've done what I said I would do and settle down with a book. (Polite Stranger/OC) Trigger Warning
1. Chapter 1

**TRIGGER WARNING**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Purge franchise.**

The Polite Visit (3,497)

It was that time of year again. I was getting the last of my shopping done. I could see many other couples doing the same. The same ugly feeling of envy fills me. They had someone to spend the Purge with, while I was going to be alone wondering if anyone would even know if I died.

As another box of cereal flakes joined its brethren, Emily came strolling over with a wide smile on her face. "Hi, Cassandra. I'm surprised to see you out and about. Not that I think there's anything wrong with having no social life, of course," she laughed. "How are you?"

I gritted my teeth and actually considered joining the Purge just to get rid of her. It would make my life so much easier. "Fine," I ended up gritting out. No, I would never join them. As much as I wished certain people to leave me alone, they didn't deserve to die. I could cope. I just needed to pay for these and get out. "I'll be going, now."

"Yes, of course!" She laughed, again. The sound was grating to my ears. It was something she seemed to have perfected - the perfect, fake facade. It was so common here that most people didn't even notice it anymore. In fact, it had basically become the new norm. "I better get back home to. Need that head start if I want to cook enough for everyone." Yes, for the party that she always threw during the Purge.

I was never invited and I would never want to attend, but it irked me that she liked to subtlety rub it in my face.

"Have fun." I quickly push the shopping cart towards the register. It didn't matter that I didn't have everything that I came to get. I just wanted to go back home where I didn't need to be around these people who lived life like a happy sitcom.

It had been a while since the Purge was implemented. The time before that was a bit of a blur, but I remembered how my parents would fret about riots and police shootings. It was terrible. I just didn't know how bad until they never came home one day.

Then, I got the call that they had been murdered while driving by a protest. A sniper had gotten trigger happy trying to kill the police force that were stationed there for protection. Several cops were murdered, but my father had had the misfortune of taking a poorly aimed bullet to the head. The car spun out of control and slammed into a street lamp. The vehicle was nearly sawed in half. I never even got to say goodbye to my mother in the hospital.

It wasn't long after that the new law came. I think the politicians and law enforcements have had enough and just decided that they needed a certain amount of time to recuperate. It was only going to be a onetime deal at first, but then it became tradition. They all took the time off to just be completely free of responsibilities.

The first year, not much happened. Seven PM came and seven AM went. There were no major news the next morning. When everyone found out that it was going to be an annual event, that was how our new life cycle started. Everyone would be kind to each other until the one night that no one could reprimand them for what they have done. All that pent up anger would be focused on several individuals instead of spreading to everyone around them.

Soon, this was televised in a positive light. It was seen as a blessing. Somehow, killing became alright as long as it was done within those twelve hours.

"That will be nineteen fifty-nine."

I gave her a twenty and hurried off with my bags without bothering with the change. It was only two in the afternoon, but I was already feeling anxious. I wasn't one of the fortunate who could afford the new hi-tech security systems that the rich all had. I only had my small residential home with the windows boarded up. They stayed that way all year 'round because it became too much of a hassle taking them down. The wall also started to lose its integrity.

With all the other homes in similar condition, however, I didn't exactly have a target on my back. I had an equal chance of being attacked as everyone else in the neighbourhood.

"Going home already, Cass?" John, my next door neighbour was watering his lawn. "The day is still early. You shouldn't hole yourself up so much. You're still young. Enjoy life while you can!"

I liked him alright. He was quite a jolly fellow, but not in the way that Emily held herself. He was carefree, but a bit naive. I'd say that he was the closest person I had. He was the only one who seemed to be remotely interested in my wellbeing without being condescending about it.

After placing down all the grocery, I ended up going back out just so I didn't have to be alone for more than I had to. John was definitely the ideal company for someone like me. He liked to talk - a lot - and I liked to hear all his stories. They were from a time before all this. They were of a life where he didn't have to fear being randomly hunted down. He was someone who didn't support the Purge, but grew flowers in his lawn because he wanted to. It was how he had always had it since before his wife passed away. He lived with his son and daughter now. They were still in high school and assimilated very well to the new society. They were not like their father at all.

"You could always stay with us for the night. I know how much you hate being alone in there during the Purge."

I had considered this many times before, but the deal breaker was his kids. I spent most of my time alone because I couldn't bear to be with people like them. The nights of the Purge were no different. "Thank you, but I'll probably just stay in my room with a book."

He chuckled. "Oh, how I wish that I had a daughter like you. Hayley hates reading. I think I've given up all hopes that she will get into a good college." Unfortunately, she was also a heavy party goer and spent most of her day - school hour or no - doing questionable things. " I hear you're working at a law firm now. Soon, you'll be moving up in society and I won't be seeing you anymore."

Shaking my head with a smile, I reassured him that that would never happen. I had only started interning. It would be a while before I could be promoted from being a gofer to something that actually involves anything related to law.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I told him as I saw the sun begin to set. It was already five. We had spent the past few hours in an idle conversation.

"See you! Hope you have a safe night."

"You, too."

I locked myself in and began to push my couch against the door. It was the best I could do for now. The back entrance was deterred by the dining table. At the very least, it would give me enough time to actually see my life flash before my eyes. Hopefully.

I turned the television on to the news channel. They were already starting a segment on the previous Purge. With a bowl of cereal in my lap, I lounged on the carpet with a mountain of pillows.

It looked to be a rerun of what they showed shortly after the Purge ended last year. How could anyone think that this night was alright after seeing all the dead bodies just strewn on the streets. Did anyone truly know how many have died since? Were they giving out the correct statistics or did they only count the people who mattered to them? What about everyone who went missing or the homeless who didn't have anyone to report that they have disappeared?

Before I knew it, the screen flickered to a familiar blue background with scrolling words. It was about to begin. Once the standard warning stopped, the sirens began.

It's started.

The first hour was quiet. It usually was. I suspected that this was the time they used to prepare themselves. The attacks were often spontaneous rather than planned. Rarely anyone had a specific target.

I left my bowl in the sink. It was going to be a depressing night. One day of laziness wasn't going to hurt anyone.

The second hour, too, went by without a hitch.

At ten o'clock, however, I heard a loud bang and screams quickly followed. The closeness of it got my heart racing. It was probably someone I saw often.

I waited until the gunshots ended before chancing a peek through the corner of my window. It was John's house.

The window had shattered and the wooden boards chopped up. The lights were still on and I could see the still body of Hayley lying on the cold, white tiles of their kitchen. A small stream of blood ran from her head and travelled into the crevices of the flooring.

It was uncommon for a household with flowers to be attacked during the Purge. The flowers typically signified their support for the cause. Could someone have leaked that John was actually against it?

I ducked my head back down as the group strolled out as if they hadn't just murdered a family of three. My heart went out to my neighbours, but I wondered if they had caught a glimpse of me. I should never have been so nosy. I should've done what I said I would do and settle down with a book.

Perhaps it was not too late to do so.

I began to make my way to my room when the doorbell rang.

I froze.

No one ever visits during the Purge. Only victims had visitors.

The doorbell rang again.

I went to the intercom that had a black and white camera connected to the front of the house. It was all that I could afford.

Turning it on, I saw a young man dressed in a suit. His hair was slicked back and he had on an eerie mask. I could see the rest of the group just outside the front gate. They, too, had masks on.

"Hello, Cassandra," he greeted as if he was merely a friend from school or work. "How are you this evening?" He didn't wait for a reply as he leaned his head down and began to take off his mask. The face that now looked back at me was deniably handsome, but the wide grin on his face was chilling. "I am part of the Purge, but you already knew that. Just from one intelligent individual to another , I'd like to get straight to the point. My friends and I were going to get our release tonight, but there are four of us and only three of them. I haven't gotten my turn before they died, so I've decided to pick you." He took a deep breath, the smile still on his face. "I saw that you haven't planted any flowers outside. Are you against the Purge? I think I should come in to clear up any misunderstandings."

I quickly turned around and began to race out. I wasn't safe here anymore. They had easily gotten into John's house. Maybe I could leave through the back.

Running as fast as I could, I pushed the table away and flung the door open. The porch light was on and I ran straight into a body. I screamed as his arms wrapped around me and pulled me back in. The door slammed close as he easily manipulated me out of the kitchen.

The carpet left a long, red mark on my arms as he threw me down. His dark blonde hair and startling blue eyes looked almost angelic if they had not been ruined by his devious grin. "Come on, Cassie. I just need my release. I'll be gone once I'm done."

I shook my head, tears already streaming down my eyes. He'd be gone, but so would I.

He pointed his knife to his chin as if contemplating something. "you know, it doesn't have to be messy or difficult. I just need you to cooperate."

I shook my head, again. I knew that I had no choice, but at least I'd die knowing that I hadn't given into him.

His grin turned into a frown as if he was truly disappointed by my reply. "I had really hoped that you'd be more compliant." With that said, he lunged forward with the knife pointed straight at me

I left out a piercing scream as the air was knocked out of my lungs. My heart was banging painfully against my chest, but at least I was still alive.

My entire body was completely pinned down by his bigger frame. The knife that I thought was going to end my life had struck the floor right beside my head. "Did you expect it to end so quickly? That wouldn't be fun." He slipped one hand down my body and began to tug at the drawstrings of my pyjama bottoms.

"No… No, please…" I sobbed. I thought that he would make this quick, but I was sorely mistaken. His hand was cold and it left an icy trail as he caressed me.

He hummed. I could feel his impossibly wide grin only expand the entire width of his face. "Don't be like that. I could make this very enjoyable."

Again, I shook my head, hoping that this was some kind of nightmare. I continued to shake and sob until he heavily collapsed against me with a sigh.

"Now, you're not even making it enjoyable for me," he groaned. "Stop crying long enough so we can do this." When I didn't, he huffed and rolled over. "Why do you have to make it so difficult for me?"

I sniffed and curled to my side. The shine of the knife caught my eye. It was still impaled on the floor beside me. Behind me, he was still grumbling to himself. This was my chance! Even if it wasn't during the Purge, no one would fault me for this. It's self defense!

Shakily, I reached for the weapon. In one quick movement, I pulled the blade out and turned to stab him.

The attack caught him by surprise and I managed to dig it into his shoulder. He let out a pained yell before catching my wrist in a bone-cracking grip. "Damn it!"

I scrambled back away from him as he pulled it out with a grunt.

"What's going on?!" one of his group members yelled through the back door.

"Nothing!" he replied. "Don't come in."

I watched with wide eyes. Why wasn't he letting the others come in? Did he not want to share because he missed out at… at John's house? I moved back just a little bit further and caught his attention.

He sat up with a hand on his shoulder to stop the blood flow. Leaning against the wall, he gave me a dry look. "Really?"

I bit my lips, shifting my eyes away from him. Not a second later, they flitted back towards his face before directing downward and I couldn't help the word blurting out of my lips, "Sorry!" Immediately, I mentally reprimanded myself for being an idiot.

This guy was trying to rape me and I apologised for defending myself!

He suddenly burst out laughing. I waited as he laughed and laughed and laughed. Tears sprung out from the corners of his eyes and even then, he didn't stop. "Sorry? I think there's something wrong with you." He wiped his eyes with his other hand. "I wonder what's going on through that pretty mind of yours."

I shot him an unsure look. "If you're going to kill me, can you just do it, now?" I meekly asked him. The fight in me had quickly disappeared at his unpredictable behaviour. I was tired and just wanted it to be over.

He sucked in a deep breath and tilted his head, a happy smile on his face. "Oh, no. I'm not done with you, yet." He slowly got on to his feet, a pained grimace on his face as he stumbled to the door.

"What do you mean?" The Purge was ending in a couple of hours. Don't tell me he was going to come back! Never mind my life, my sanity would go first.

"See you around, Cass." With that, he was gone. The rest of his group sounded confused when they caught sight of me. Before he closed the door, he took out his gun and shot the closest one in the head, splattering blood all over the back porch. Some of it was sprinkled across the kitchen counter.

He left me with one last grin before gently closing the door.

Shakily, I got to my feet and locked the door before pushing the table back against it. What had just happened? I couldn't seem to process the past hour. I thought he was going to kill me, so why didn't he? What compelled him to stop?

I walked to my room, locked that door, and settled down on the bed with a book in hand.

At seven in the morning, the sirens sounded to signify the end of the Purge. There were many people coming out of their houses to cheer, but I wondered how many died as John's family did? How many even cared?

With a sigh, I got off the bed to look at myself in the mirror. I looked terrible. The dark bags under my eyes seemed to be the only speck of colour on my face. I looked absolutely horrid. There was no way getting around that. I just had to deal with the fact that everyone else would still look perfect while I wander like a pariah to the office. What would everyone think?

I shook my head. It didn't matter. Life went on. I couldn't let them think that this Purge had somehow broken me. I wasn't broken.

I slapped on some concealer, eyeliner, and lipstick and got to work. The coffee didn't make itself!

Dressed in a crisp white button up and freshly ironed black pants, I felt much better. I could feel the residual feeling of accomplishment lingering in the threads. Sure, I was only an intern, but I had gotten here by myself. If not for myself, I was going to move out of here for John.

When I got to work, the office was buzzing with excitement. The boss was here, today. It was a rare and special occasion. He was rarely in, so many of the new recruits, such as myself, have never seen him before. I always pictured him to be a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair - someone who could've been an actor when he was young or a model.

"Candace just went in to see him. I think it's about the promotions!" I heard Kelly whisper to her friend. Instantly, there was another wave of murmurs about promotions. As an intern, I didn't have much of a chance to get promoted, but they've even gotten me curious.

Was I going to like him? What kind of boss was he? Was he the firm, yet kind boss? Or would he be the no nonsense, one chance only kind of boss? I couldn't imagine him being the fun-loving type of guy. Most of the lawyers here were pretty stiff. There wasn't anyone particularly likeable.

The door to the boss' office opened and Candace came out with a wide smile and what seemed to be stars in her eyes. "He's so good looking!" she quietly swooned to Kelly. "When I walked in, I thought I was in the wrong room! And he's so nice! I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

Kelly squealed with her, while Craig merely rolled his eyes. "Did you get the promotion?"

Candace shrugged. "He said he was just going to evaluate everyone first." She, then, turned to me. "Oh, and Cassandra, he wants to see you next."

My mind raced. Why would he want to see me? If it's about the promotion, I had no chance. Was he like everyone else? Would he give me a fake smile, while secretly thinking of ways to fire me?

I rounded the corner and stared into deep blue eyes and a wide smile. "Hello, Cassandra. Why don't you come in? We have quite a lot to talk about."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I watched the first movie for The Purge and although the actual movie got me really frustrated, I really enjoyed the Polite Stranger's scenes and I wished they could've done more with him later on.

This is intended to be a trilogy, so there should be two more installments to come.

Please drop a review if you'd like to see more. I really love hearing from all of you!


	2. Chapter 2

The Polite Affair (3,223)

My feet automatically walked in without my consent. I was safe here. There was nothing to worry about. The annual Purge had come and gone. It wasn't legal to kill me, but… Did that mean he won't? Do people really only kill once a year or has the media been misleading us. Dead bodies and missing persons were reported all the time, but most of it were chalked up to being residual cases during the Purge.

The moment I passed through the threshold, I heard the door lock shut. Shivers ran down my spine. I was about to turn around when I felt his hands on my shoulder, keeping me in place. "I told you I'd see you soon, Cass," he chuckled.

Yes, but I never thought he'd be my boss! If he was anyone - _anyone_ \- else, I could've avoided them most of my life, but not him. Was that how he already knew who I was? What kind of game was he playing here?!

He walked forward, pushing me along until my knees hit his mahogany desk. The press of his body against mine made me lean forward until I was flat on top of the smooth surface. He groaned and laughed into my neck. "Don't be so scared, I'm not here to hurt you."

"This is sexual harassment!" I hissed. "I could report you, now!"

"But you won't," he mumbled, doing nothing but laying on top of me. His puffs of breath left tingles against my skin.

I couldn't believe that this was happening, again. "Why are you doing this?"

He ran his hand down to my stomach. "I saw your picture in the company system. I was fascinated, so I came to meet you."

"During the Purge?!" Was he insane? No, of course he was.

"Why not?" He was completely relaxed against me.

I sighed and made myself a little more comfortable. It didn't seem like we were going to go anywhere any time soon. We laid there in that awkward position for minutes. Neither of us said anything, but he seemed content. I allowed his deep, even breathing to lull me into a more relaxed state.

The lack of sleep was making my mind drift. This wasn't so bad. A bit unconventional, but not bad…

 _Knock. Knock._

"Sir?"

He groaned and tightened his grip on me.

"Sir, you have a meeting in fifteen minutes."

I opened my eyes and saw him staring back at me. "You have a meeting to go to," I mumbled.

"I do."

"So go."

…

Nathan Carmichael.

That was his name.

He was aggressive. He was possessive. And he was dominating. He was everything that he wasn't in public. I couldn't even begin to figure him out and it made me wonder. Was everyone like this? What monsters lie beneath those pretty faces?

I gently placed a cup of tea in front of him. He was negotiating on the phone. When he wasn't trying to cop a feel, his professionalism was impeccable. Sometimes, I couldn't help but stare at him as he worked.

If I were to walk by him on the streets, I would never have thought he'd be as accomplished as he was, but as I see him in his element, it was no surprise. He knew how to use words to manipulate anyone to see his way. It was almost scary how he can convince a man to confess and pay back every cent that was laundered, while still accepting a thirty year sentence. For a fifty year old, it was basically life.

"I can't believe he didn't promote anyone!" Kelly exclaimed after two weeks of agonising wait. "I really thought I'd done enough this year…"

"Yeah, well… I thought _I_ was going to get promoted too!" Candace retorted.

Craig grumbled unhappily under his breath.

"Hey, new girl! Who do you think deserves the promotion more?" Kelly called out to me.

I pretended to riffle through the notes and letters. It really wasn't any of my business, nor did I particularly care about their petty debate. "I haven't been here long enough to give a proper evaluation." That was probably a safe answer because they turned their attention back amongst themselves to continue their argument.

They never outwardly expressed their disdain for each other, but I could see it in their eyes whenever the spat became too heated. Was this truly a better way of life? No one seemed to truly like each other no matter how polite and kind their words were. They lived every day in delusion.

"Cassandra, I want to see you in my office." Nathan was standing in front of his door. All eyes seemed to be on me as I obediently stood up.

Kelly pursed her lips. "It's nice that he wants to help the intern."

"I know, right? He's so kind."

I turned on my heels and walked in with as much dignity as I could muster. He couldn't keep calling on me like this. It was difficult enough working in this atmosphere. I didn't need a bigger target on my back.

As per usual, he locked the door as soon as I stepped in. I faced him with my hands on my hip. "You can't keep bringing me in here. Half of them probably think I'm about to be fired, while the other half probably think I'm giving you blow jobs to further my career."

His face split into his typical grin. "What right do we have to prove them wrong?"

"I'm not giving you a blow job." I glared at him.

He was undeterred as he pulled me against him and meshed our lips together. I closed my eyes and sighed. He was ridiculously good at kissing. If this was inevitable, I might as well enjoy myself.

When he broke away, I grumbled, "I'm still not giving you a blow job." And he didn't push the matter any further. Instead, he pulled me to his chair and sat me on his lap. As he worked, it was as if his mind was at one place and his hands were at another.

I would be relaxing against him one minute and another, he was groping me until I was squirming in his lap. It only caused a cycle of torture when I felt him harden beneath me. Every time I tried to pull away, he'd tighten his grip just a little more. For such a slim man, he was surprisingly strong.

Before I left his office that day, I shot him a glare. "We're not meeting here again."

Instead of replying, he merely gave me a playful wave before I slammed the door in his face.

I could feel the typical stares on me as I left the office. It used to bother me, but I had long since become desensitised to what they thought of me or anything else in general. I did my job well and that was all they had to know. I didn't even bother spitting in their drinks anymore.

When I sat down in my cubicle, I immediately heard Kelly and Candace talking about me. Some crude words were casually thrown in. That didn't matter. Of course it didn't. Why would it? They didn't know anything about me. It didn't matter.

 _It didn't matter_.

I blinked my eyes and quickly threw away the letter that had somehow gotten wet. That wouldn't do.

With a click of a button, I printed another copy out. There. Done. Good.

I allowed the rest of the day to pass by without speaking to anyone and it was an absolute relief when it was time to go home. I couldn't stand another second in that stifling room.

When I walked down the street, I paused in front of John's house. The perfect lawn was now overrun with wild flowers. The grass pointed haphazardly in every direction.

Had the bodies been cleared out already?

I took a step towards the door before quickly backtracking. No, I didn't want to know. I didn't want to see their bodies.

The Purge had done this to them - my boss had done this to them. I was soiling John's family by getting close to him. I had to keep my distance. He was poison. He was everything that I hated… at least during the annual event.

Outside of it, he was different. He behaved like any other men that I've seen. He was a little perverted, but he was also _normal._ There weren't any obvious signs of murderous tendencies. No, that's right. It wasn't anything unusual for people to kill during the Purge, so why was I thinking about it now?

Did it only start to matter when my life and the people I care about are in danger? Was I any better than the rest of them if I thought this way?

I quickly shook those thoughts away. They made my head hurt.

As the clock struck seven, I felt a familiar sense of panic. It was something that plagued me since that night. I was afraid. What really protected us from being slaughtered in our sleep? Was that one day really enough to quench the blood thirst that some of those monsters had?

My hands shook as I retrieved the blue bottle from the night table. Had I taken them, today? The small, white pills stared back at me with no definitive answer.

I grabbed a glass a water and quickly downed them. A bout of drowsiness immediately hit me.

I dug under the covers and closed my eyes. This was what I should've done during the Purge.

The dreamless sleep was taken away by hands grabbing me. My eyes immediately snapped open and I let out a loud scream before I was quickly silenced. I squirmed around, trying to get away from the intruder. No, this had to be a terrible nightmare. The Purge is over. No one should be doing this. They told us this is why it worked! There would be less crimes if everyone was given one day to let out all their anger!

"Ssh…" The minty breath breezed over to me and my eyes widened.

I ripped his hand away from my mouth and turned to him, a mixture of shock and outrage filled me. "Nathan?! What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is? You can't just break in like this!"

He hummed and nuzzled against my neck as if he hadn't just given me a minor heart attack.

"Nathan!" I scolded him, again.

"You told me that you won't see me in my office anymore, so I thought I'd just take it here." When he trailed his hand between my thighs, I couldn't argue his logic. I let out a low, throaty moan and bucked against him.

"Nathan…"

He pushed me flat on my back and climbed on top of me. His eyes bore into my own. "Again. Say my name, again."

"Nathan…" I repeated, panting as I felt his arousal poke me and ground against the sweet spot between my legs.. "Nathan!"

"That's it…" he sighed, leaning forward until his entire body seemed to consume mine. When he looked back at me, the moonlight gave those orbs a fire that seemed to burn straight through me. He tilted his head and smiled lazily. "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

I glared at him. He knew exactly how much I had enjoyed that. "I hate you." The words lost all meaning when I let out a low moan, arching my back so that I could increase the contact between us.

He slid his hand under the nightie and pulled my panties aside. One long finger glided along my mound. I whimpered when it lingered at the bundle of nerves that threatened to send me over the edge. He allowed me to find release, turning me into a boneless form, but didn't go further than that. His abstinence almost annoyed me, especially after knowing that he had nearly done it the first time we met. Why was he holding back, now?

I sighed, snuggling into his arms. He was the most confusing person I had ever met. Nothing he did made any sense to me. I'd expect him to do one thing and he'd do the completely opposite. I wondered if he did it just to annoy me.

Before I knew it, I was lulled into a dreamless sleep.

From that night on, we never met in his office. All activities stayed at night in my room. There were new rumours flying about that I was replaced by another woman and the Gossip Three had a field day trying to figure out who it was.

There was deep hidden satisfaction knowing that this was a secret he and I shared.

"I bet it's Amelia!" Candace exclaimed, looking around for the brunette who usually kept to herself. "She just got that promotion! Bet you she fucked her way up!"

Kelly groaned. "Darn! That slut! I should've known!"

Craig rolled his eyes.

I filed away the remaining papers and stood up to leave when all three pairs of eyes converged on me. I looked away, hoping that they would ignore me and go on with the ridiculous conversation they were having, but no such luck.

"Hey, new girl! Tell us what happened between you and Mr. Big Shot?"

I momentarily contemplated flaunting my relationship with Nathan, but reeled the words in before they could do any damage. "I don't know what you're talking about," I replied as passively as I could.

"Come on, we know that you weren't just getting coffee for him. You were in there all the time and now you're… not." They all gave me accusing glares.

Annoyance began to make a certain vein above my eye throb. "Why I was in there is no business of yours. It never was and it never will be. _This_ is precisely the reason why the lot of you won't ever be promoted - you spend more time gossiping than actually doing work."

I left them speechless and headed to the elevator. With a sigh, I wondered when they were going to focus their attention on someone else. I had no doubt that I had only threw fuel into the flame. They weren't going to stop until they found what they wanted to see.

The truth was, they weren't completely wrong and that was why it was so hard to deny everything and keep them off my back.

As I was about to leave the elevator, I nearly bumped into him. He grinned at me and quickly closed the door before I could get out. "What are you doing?" I hissed.

He pushed me against the wall and slammed his lips against mine. I tried to push him away as the fear of getting caught seized me. We had agreed not to do it here!

"Stop!" I breathed when we separated for air. "You promised that we weren't going to do this anymore!"

His lips were quirked to the side. "I promised not to do it in my office. I don't believe this looks like my office, does it to you?" He spread his arms out to emphasise his point.

I pursed my lips. "What if someone comes in! The elevator door's going to open and everyone's going t - "

He threw his hand to the side and held the emergency button. Immediately, the alarm came on and I stared at him in horror. "There. Problem solved."

"No! Problem _not_ solved!" I moved to open the elevator door, but he blocked my path. "Nathan, stop! I'm not going to do this here and you're not going to make me!" I was adamant this time. I couldn't keep letting him do this. With the ways things were going, I was no better than… Than… a common _whore_!

Nathan took a step back, frowning at me. "I do hope you will be more agreeable tomorrow."

"We're opening the door, now. Please, do not panic," came a voice from the intercom.

He held my gaze for a moment more before turning to the speaker. "Don't worry. I've got it now. Must've been a small malfunction. Have someone look at it by tomorrow." He pressed the open button, watching for my next move.

I looked down before hurrying out. I kept my tears in until I was safely in the confines of my home.

Throwing a handful of water at my face, I looked into the bathroom mirror. A wide-eyed girl stared back at me. This was someone who had no idea what she had gotten herself into. This was someone who had foolish decided not to heed the fact that he had participated in the Purge, contributed to her neighbours' death, and tried to rape her in the same night. How could I have just given myself over to him after all that?

"You're so stupid," I berated myself, feeling the tears fall, again. "You're so fuckin' stupid!"

With how long I've been living here, I should've been well aware of the alter egos everyone had. The perfect face, smooth voice, and honeyed words were nothing but lies. He was just like everyone else and I was stupid enough to fall for it.

The bathroom tiles were cold against my cheeks as I laid there, trying to calm myself down. _One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven…_

I allowed my eyes to flutter shut and drift into a fitful sleep.

I dreamt of his Cheshire grin and his taunts that echoed in my head - berating me, chastising me, and seducing me. He was a drug that I had to let go. He wasn't good for me. He frightened me.

When I woke up, I was no longer in the bathroom. I was tucked beneath my covers with a warm body pressed against my back. His breath tickled my ear and I was about to burst into tears again. He just made me so confused.

I turned around to see him peacefully sleeping. It was as if what happened yesterday hadn't happened at all.

I tried to shift away, but his grip tightened and he nuzzled my neck. I wanted so desperately to hate him, but I wasn't sure if I could. He had that softer side to him that always slingshot me back.

As my fingertips brushed his lips, his bright blue eyes fluttered open and a smile slowly stretched across his face.

I couldn't tell him that morning, so we continued our tryst. It was a rather trying relationship. Balancing between business and pleasure was no easy task when many pairs of judgmental eyes were always on us. For the most part, we had a compromise.

Our affair would only occur at night, except for sparse intimate moments when I was sure that we were alone. It was never at his office, anymore. Instead, the elevator and bathrooms became a common place that we'd cave in to our urges.

The feelings of guilt never truly left, but it was greatly suppressed by my endless desire for him. He could be so sweet and passionate, yet cruel and aggressive, but he was never violent.

The truth was, I was sure I'd fallen in love with him.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I'm actually so surprised that people liked the first part of the story! Since it's not a particularly popular genre, I thought it'd just disappear in a thick layer of dust.

Regarding the story, I hope this one is also to your liking. This story is a bit angsty, a bit naughty, a bit of everything else. The third installment will be coming soon, I just haven't figured out how to write the ending, but it's getting there!

Thank you **PorcelainPuppetLady** and **MEGUMIthePENGUIN** for reviewing!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story! Please drop a review if you liked it. It really motivates me to continue writing! I'm thinking of watching the second movie as well and somehow incorporating these two into that plot. Is this something you'd be interested in?


	3. Chapter 3

**TRIGGER WARNING**

The Polite Farewell (3,046)

I stared at him in disbelief. Surely, he was just playing. Did he actually think that I'd agree with him - that I'd go along with it? It wasn't the first time that I didn't find his dark humour funny. This time was no different.

"I'm not going and you're not either," I told him, adamant with my decision.

His eyes darkened. "You're going to try to stop me?"

My own narrowed. "I know I can't, but if you go, we're over."

I never thought that that would be it. That our relationship could mean so little. As I thought about this now, I knew it was foolishness that made me think that I would ever be enough to stifle those primal urges in him. I was foolish enough to think that I could possibly tame the beast.

No matter how many tears I shed, nothing would make it right again. Being apart from him hurt so much more than I could ever imagine. When he walked out the door that night, he had taken my shattered heart with him. Where he decided to dispose of it, I would never know.

The next day, I had given him my two week notice. He stared at me for only a moment before placing the sealed envelope into a drawer. That was it. Eleven months of fun and passion and it all boiled down to this.

As casually as I could, I worked. I worked and worked, ignoring the curious - perhaps even concerned - glances I was receiving. They no longer probed me with questions about Nathan. In fact, they no longer seemed to be concerned with their boss anymore. The novelty had died after the first few months.

"Hey, you know what we've been saying about you?" Candace shyly started the conversation. "We never really meant it, you know? It's just friendly teasing." Her lips trembled and tears began to cloud her eyes.

Craig rolled his eyes.

"What she's trying to say is that, you shouldn't quit because of what people say," Kelly elaborated. "We really like you here and you've been really helpful around the office. We've had a lot of incompetent interns before you and it's always frustrating trying to train them. We treated you like the rest of them before knowing you and we're sorry."

"Please don't leave!" Candace blurted out.

My eyes softened. I never thought that the Gossip Three felt this way. "I'm not leaving because of you guys," I told them. "I'm leaving for me. This isn't where I wanted my life to end up."

They stared at me.

I sighed. "Look, you all have my phone number. If you ever want to meet up, just call me, alright?"

Defeated, they nodded and got back to work as Nathan walked by. I made a point not to look at him. It hurt too much. I thought I was going to have a difficult time getting through the rest of my term, but two weeks came and went quickly.

I sat on the couch, staring at the television as it broadcasted the annual warnings. The Purge was coming again and I wasn't going to make the same mistakes as last time.

At the hardware store, I bought a car-full of wooden planks. I worked on the back door first. I didn't need it for the next seven days. Until then, I could fully function with only the front door, or maybe even just a window. No one was going to be able to get in by the time I was done.

"That time of the year, again, isn't it?"

I veered my shopping cart away from Emily. No one was going to bring me down, again.

I sat in my room with a book in hand. This was how I was going to wait out the rest of the day tomorrow - hassle free and oblivious to the rest of the world.

 _I miss you._

I nearly threw my phone at the television when I saw his message. I was through with trying to reason with him and having it all blow up in my face.

 _I can be better. Don't give up on me._

My hands trembled and when I didn't reply to his messages, the phone began to ring. Not once had he ever called me before. Whenever we wanted to talk, he'd arrive at my doorstep as if by magic.

I waited for the call to go to voicemail, but it stopped before the final ring. Not a minute later, the ringtone chimed in again - the typically happy tune now sounded as if it was mocking me. Again, the call ended before starting up again.

This time, I clicked picked up and cautiously held the device to my ear. I said nothing and could tell that he didn't expect me to pick up because there was hesitation in his voice. "C-cass?" I had never experienced a time where he wasn't completely sure of himself. He was the embodiment of confidence. "Cass, please. I need to be with you." The desperation in his voice was palpable. "Let me see you. I can't do this anymore."

Tears began to trickle down my cheek. I wanted so badly to believe him, but he had made his choice. He chose the very thing I hated most over us.

"I'm not me without you."

But what if I could still change him? What if it wasn't too late? The purge hadn't started yet. I still had a full 30 hours before the warning sirens.

"Who are you, really, Nathan?" I whispered, my voice hoarse from the lack of socialising. "I don't even know who you are. I don't know anything about you at all." Our relationship had come on so quick and strong that it never crossed my mind how little we knew of each other.

"Let me show you. I'll drop by tonight and I'll take you to where I hide when I'm not at work or with you." The promise in his voice was alluring. "Come with me, Cass."

And like the fool I was, I agreed.

He was at my doorstep in minutes. I gathered that he was confident enough to know that I would agree to his request.

When I opened the door, I couldn't stop my heart racing. I wasn't going to lie to myself anymore and saw that I wasn't devastatingly attracted to him because I was. It took everything that I had to keep myself away for so long.

"You look beautiful." he smiled.

I swallowed hard. "Lead the way."

He gently tugged me towards a beautiful black lamborghini - a vehicle that I had never seen him use before. The plush seats was like a piece of heaven as I sank in with a sigh.

Slipping into the driver's seat, he chuckled at the expression on my face.

The car ride there was smooth. The scenery passed by quickly. The houses evolved from small one-floored houses to grand multi-storey manors. This was somewhere I didn't dare approaching. The people here were worse than all of the ones I knew combined.

He turned into a classically beautiful mansion. The gate opened by themselves as the car approached it.

The water in the marble fountain was crystal blue and the lawn was a luscious green. It was as if I had fallen into a fairytale, but I knew that every fairytale had it's morals and every fairytale has its villains. I just had to figure out what was what.

After we entered e manor, he quickly locked the door and led me through the house. There was a short tour of the essentials, but along he way, I found framed photographs of a happy family. There was a young boy with several females of various heights around him, along with an older gentleman. They all looked happy, except for the boy who always seemed to don on a pout as if he never wanted to be in any of the pictures. It was very cute, especially knowing who that boy had grown to become.

I had never seen that side of him - the side that would pout and probably whine until he got his way. No, the man in front of me simply seized whatever he desired. There was never any whining or pleading involved, not for the most part at least.

"What are you smiling about?"

I turned to him. His eyebrow was raised curiously at me and I shot him a cheeky grin. "You were very cute as a child."

That caused a frown to appear. "Stop looking at them. When I'm around, I only want you to think about me and what I will do to you." Once he re-established his dominance, he marched me up the wide marble steps and entered an excessively large bedroom. The bed was large and inviting, but that wasn't the reason why I was here.

"You brought me here so that I could learn more about you. We're not going to do anything until that's done," I told him.

He pulled off his tie and loosened his collar. I tried not to stare too hard when several buttons came undone. Looking at him shouldn't still be affecting me like this. "What do you want to know?" He lazily plopped down onto the black leather armchair and patted his lap. "Come here and I'll tell you whatever you wish."

Hesitantly, I obliged. The moment I sat down, his hands were everywhere. "No, stop," I mumbled as his lips fell on mine. "Stop distracting me. It's not fair!"

He halted with a smug grin.

My breath was uneven and I noticed with satisfaction that his was as well. "Talk first."

"Ask away." He drew lazy circles along my skin and I wanted to call foul again, but this may be as good as I'd get. He was never going to behave. I pitied his parents for having to put up with him as a child.

"You're Nathan Carmichael. When is your birth date and where were you born?"

He supplied me with e answers quickly and smoothly. "Would you like to see my ID? Perhaps my birth certificate?"

I scowled. "No, but I just wanted to warm up. If you don't like it, I could always head straight to the point."

"Go ahead. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can move on to more important matters." I huffed at how he still seemed to be playing with me.

"Why me, Nathan? Out of all the female staff you have I your building, surely there are many others who'd peek your fancy." I wanted to get to know him, but this had been nagging at me for the longest time. Now that I had him in a more agreeable state, I wanted them answered.

He hummed and rested his chin on my shoulder. "Why not you?"

"That's not an answer."

"Before officially settling in my office, I reviewed many tapes of all of you working. I also noted what each of you have accomplished. There are many, as you may already know, who spend more time with idle chat than working. And then, there are those who simply work too much. They bore me. They all do, but when you came in for your internship, I saw that sparkle in your eyes and I wanted it." He laid a soft kiss to the crook of my neck. "I wanted it and I wanted to snuff it out."

My eyes widened. That wasn't exactly what I expected. What did he mean by those words? That night, had he truly intended to kill me after missing out on… On…

He chuckled to himself. "Yes, I fully intended to vent out on your delicate body during the last Purge. I was going to have my way with you and the dispose of your body, but then you turned those sparkling eyes on me. That fear, it excited me."

I felt my heart race in fear. "N-Nathan…"

"Shh… Don't worry about it." He grinned. "Now that I have you, I'm never going to let you go." A sigh brushed my cheek as he happily shed each layer of clothing I had. His own carelessly joined mine. "You're beautiful, Cassandra."

There were so many other things I wanted to ask him, but somehow, he had managed to distract me, again. Or perhaps I wanted to be distracted. I wanted to continue this facade. I was afraid of what other secrets he kept from me.

"Nathan!" I cried out for the third time before feeling a familiar weight on top of me. Our heavy breathing was the only sound.

He groaned and rolled away before pressing himself against my back.

I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing the fatigue to pull me into a deep slumber.

 _MINE!_

I gasped awake and felt behind me.

Empty.

He was gone.

I rushed to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet. I had never felt so horrible. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

I quickly brushed my teeth and looked at myself in the mirror. A pale, wide-eyed girl stared back at me. I was disgusted with myself. Again and again I allowed myself to fall for his lies. I didn't want to, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to let him go. Maybe a part of me thought that I could truly change him.

As I paced the living room, I began to feel more and more frustrated and the feeling of dread refused to dissipate. Nathan had locked down the entire mansion, but that was only meant to keep intruders in.

I opened the second floor window and left the house alarm blaring while I ran down the street. Where could he have gone?

There were several groups of people with torches and silly costumes visiting houses and taunting their owners. I didn't want to think of what they planned to do or whether they were going to succeed.

I ran and ran until my feet stopped and I stared at a large property. I knew this place. The Sandin family was famous for their security company. Theirs stocks were on the rise and rise.

Passing by a lawn of flowers, I wondered why they were here. Then again, John… He also had flowers in his lawn. What good did they really do to anyone?

I crept into the dark house. All the security seemed to be down. Someone was definitely here. I just didn't know whether it was Nathan and his… crew. "N-Nathan…?" I whispered.

Suddenly, a man came tumbling down the steps and fell heavily at the base. His side was bleeding. A small pool of blood quickly formed beneath him.

James Sandin.

Across from him, half hidden by the darkness of the hall was Nathan. He had a shotgun in his hands and a wide Cheshire Grin on his face. This was the monster I never wanted to see, again.

Suddenly, a glint caught the corner of my eyes. A girl with a gun pointed straight at him. Before I could even think about my own actions, I had pushed her aside. Her cry caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"Nathan, don't do this," I pleaded. "Come back with me."

He tilted his head. "Cassandra, why don't you come here? Perhaps you'll find that you enjoy this once you try it. Haven't you heard the saying that you should always try something once?"

"No, Nathan. Not this." I had to get him to understand. I needed to get him out of this lifestyle - even if it was only for a day; even if it was legal. This behaviour was barbaric. "Look at what you've done to this poor family! What have they ever done to you? What _sick_ pleasure do you get fro - " I coughed. Something flew out and specked the palm of my hand. "What…?"

I looked down and saw something protruding from my chest. My mind couldn't seem to comprehend what had just happened, but as my world began to spin, I realised that it didn't matter.

My body hit the floor with a thud as I struggled to breathe.

" _NO!"_ The shotgun went off and another body joined me.

I stared at the white mask, partially covered by long locks of blonde hair.

"No! No! Cassandra!" I blinked and stared into his eyes. Why did he look so sad? "No! Not you! Why did you come here?!"

The entire world seemed to be in slow motion. "I… I wanted… you…" _To stop_. Why couldn't I finish that sentence?

His shaky hands stroked my face. "Don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

"Nathan… I'm so c-cold," I whispered.

He immediately held me closer, wrapping as much as his suit jacket as he could around me, but it didn't help. The very core of my body felt as if it was made of ice and i felt… light, as if I was floating on water - no, a cloud. Yes… A white, fluffy cloud.

"Open your eyes, Cassandra. Open them for me."

When had they closed?

Tired… I was so tired. He must've worn me out, last night. How long was I asleep for? Had I even fallen asleep? No, I must've or else I would've noticed him leaving. I would've stopped him.

Stopped him from what?

" _Open your eyes_."

Why did my face feel wet? Was it raining? Were these rain clouds?

"N-Nathan…" I sobbed. "I'm s-scared." What was I scared of? Where was this fear coming from? I was being so silly. _Nathan must think I'm being a child_. It was so dark. I didn't want him to think that I was afraid of the dark because that wasn't it. I was just… afraid…

"I know. I'll get you to the hospital, okay? The Purge is almost over. You're going to be okay."

 _I will._ I wanted to tell him. Why wouldn't I be okay? It was his fault that I was so tired. A little sleep would fix everything.

"I lo - "

Like the rest of my world, his voice also faded into darkness and I knew no more.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

And here is the final installment for this story. I contemplated a different ending and I even wrote parts of it, but I think this was the best place to leave it. I'm sorry if this wasn't what you expected or wanted. And although the story for the first movie is over, I may watch the second movie and become inspired for a sequel. Would anyone like to see a sequel? If I write it, I plan to insert Nathan and Cassandra into it, but I haven't actually decided anything, yet.

I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, but I did see a few of you follow and favourite this story. Thank you so very much.

If anyone is interested in Criminal Minds or another short story, I've written a Spencer Reid/OC romance one that I do plan to post shortly – once I type it up.

Thank you again for hanging on until this trilogy is over.


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